Carton having pour spout



Jan.

Filed Sept. 25, 1966 G. G. RUMBERGER 3,361,308

CARTON HAVING POUR SPOUT 2 Sheets-Sheet l @7s/@MM @d @wim @gi/yy.

george ffumelyez Jan. 2, 1968 l G. G. RUMBERGER 3,361,308

CARTON HAVING POUR SPOUT Filed Sept, 25, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v C? fw.

United States Patent O 3,361,308 CARTON HAVING POUR SPOUT George G. Rumherger, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor to Brown Company, Kalamazoo, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 581,529 14 Claims. (Cl. 222-528) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carton having a pour spout provided at one or more corners thereof, comprising a folded pour spout panel connected to a minor face panel and underlying an outer i panel and comprising proximal and distal panels separated by a fold line intersecting a pour aperture, which distal and pr-oximal panels are separated by applying linger pressure at the edge of the carton between two major faces, thereby also opening the pour aperture therebetween. Withdrawal of pressure permits the panels and pour spout to close.

The present invention relates to cartons, and is more particularly concerned with a carton having improved pour spout'means provided at an end thereof for dispensing particulate solid materials such as powders or granulated materials.

Dispensing cartons having pour spout means are known in the art. However, such cartons generally have complicated means for forming the pour spout requiring considerably more paperboard material than cartons not so provided. Additionally, the pour spouts are complicated and the cartons are dificult to assemble or erect on automatic machinery.

It is an object of theI present invention to provide a carton havng'improved pour spout means, which carton may be assembled from a suitably cut and scored integral blank. It is a further object to provide a carton having pour spout means whichrequires no greater amount of paperboard than cartons not having pour spouts. It is a further object to provide a carton having pour spout means of such simplified structure that several pour spouts may be provided in several corners of arsingle carton without adding to the cost of the carton. It is an additional object to provide a carton of the type described which is simple to construct and erect by means of automatic machinery. The accomplishment of the foregoing and additional objects will become more fully apparent hereinafter. l

The invention in its preferred embodiment is `illustrated by the'accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an integral blank suitably cut and scored to form a carton according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fully erected and sealed carton utilizing the blank of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the folding of the pour spout-forming end flaps.

rFIGyl-iis a fragmentary perspective view of a sealed carton illustrating how the end edge is opened by compressing the sides of the carton. FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken at the line 55 of FIG. 4; and FG. 6 is a fragmentary end view taken at the line 66 of FIG. 5.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings for a better understanding of the invention, wherein all the parts are numbered and wherein the same numbers are used to refer to the same parts throughout.

Referring to FIG. 1, the carton blank comprises major face panels 1 and 2 and minor wall or face panels 3 and 4. The major face panel 1 is provided with outer end panels 5 and 6 and a glue flap 7 having extensions 8 and 9 hingedly connected thereto. The major face panel 2 is provided with outer end flaps 10 and 11 hingedly connected to the ends thereof. The minor face panel 3 is provided with pour spout panels 12 and 13 hingedly connected thereto and the minor face panel 4 is provided with pour spout panels 14 and 15 hingedly connected thereto. Preferably the pour spout panels are hingedly connected only to a minor face panel, such as 3, which is not adjacent to a glue ap, such as 7, in the erected carton. The pour spout panels 12, 13, 14 and 15 are provided with hexagonal cut-outs or apertures 16, 17, 1 8, and 19, respectively. The pour spout panels are provided with score lines 20, 21, 22 and 23 permitting the panels to be folded over at a line intersecting the cut-outs, and dividing the pour spout panels into proximal panels 12a, 13a, 14a, and 15a, and distal panels 12b, 13b, 14b, and 15b, preferably of smaller length than that of the proximal panels, thereby permitting an area of the proximal panels at the score lines connecting them to the minor face panels 3 and 4 to remain exposed when the distal panels are folded over the proximal flaps to permit the ends of the outer end flaps to be adhesively affixed thereto, thereby sealing the carton.

In assembling the carton, the minor face panel 4 is rst adhesively affixed to the adhesive strip 7 to form a fiat folded tube. In this condition the folded blank may be stored or transported since it occupies very little space. To further erect the carton, the tube is opened and one end closed by first folding the pour spout panels 12 and 14 at the score lines 2t) and 22, respectively, and then at their main score lines, as shown in FlG. 3. The outer end flaps 5 and 10 are then folded `over and adhesively aiixed to each other. The free edges 24 and 25 of the upper outer end flap 10, and preferably also those of the lower outer end flap 5, are adhesively aliixed to the score line edges 26 and 27 of the proximal panels 12a and 14a. The score lines 20, 21, 22 and 23 are preferably so positioned that the proximal panels are a little wider than the distal panels. Consequently, when the distal panels are folded over, their edges stop short of the score lines, 26 and 27, thereby leaving a portion of the proximal panels exposed to enable the outer end flaps to be sealed thereto, thereby sealing the pour spout. The exposed surfaces of the distal panels 12b and 14h are preferably weakly adhered to the underlying outer end fiap 5 to cornplete the seal.

After one end has been sealed as described, the carton may be filled with the desired content and the second end sealed in similar manner. The result. is a completely sealed carton, as shown in FIG. 2.

When it is desired to remove contents from the carton, the major side panels at one corner of the carton are compressed, as shown in FIG.'4. As a result, the seal between the ends of the outer end panels and the area at the score` 26 of the folded proximal panels is vbroken and, as the" outer end flaps 10 and 5 are further compressed, they bow outward from their usual position, causing the dis-.- tal panel 12b to bow outward away from itsnormal posiproximal panel Whereas the.l

tion of nengagement with the proximal panel 12a bows downward, thereby providing a pour spout, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. When the carton" is tipped the contents, such as sugar or a powder, pour through the pour spout opening formed by the aperture, 16 and the proximal and distal panels 12a and 12b. When be provided at the end of the carton which is to serve as the top.

The carton may be formed of any suitable material and with any suitable adhesive. However, in a preferred embodiment, the carton is constructed of laminated paperboard comprising two layers of paperboard having a sandwiched layer of a thermoplastic adhesive such as wax therebetween. Slits may be provided in the paperboard layers permitting the adhesive to be extruded therethrough and to cause adhesion between any desired surfaces when heated. When such a structure is used, the adhesive extruded at the ends of the outer end aps may be utilized to seal the outer end ap ends to the proximal pour spout panels, thereby sealing the carton.

The cut-outs 16, 17, 18 and 19 may be formed in any desirable shape such as circles, ovals, polygons, etc. However, gures which form symmetrical halves about the score lines 20, 21, 22 and 23 are preferred, as for example circles, squares, hexagons, and octagons.

The carton of the present invention has a number of advantages over the prior art cartons having pour spouts. First, the carton is inexpensive to produce since it requires no additional paperboard material for forming the pour spout, as the pour spout is formed from an existing Hap. The carton may be formed of an integral blank and is readily glued and erected on automatic machinery. The carton may be completely sealed prior to use, the seal being broken by compressing the side panels of the carton at a corner. The pour spout opening is readily provided, since only simple ccmpression of the corner is required. Moreover, when the pressure is released, the pour spout automatically recloses as a result of the elastic memory of the paperboard material. 1n spite of being simple and inexpensive, the carton provides a positive, easy operating pour spout structure.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction, operation, or exact materials or embodiments shown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing carton formed of an integral blank and having means adapted to provide a pour spout comprising major wall panels and minor wall panels hingedly connected at their edges to form a tube, and an end wall at each end, at least one of said end walls comprising an outer end panel hingedly Connected to one of said major wall panels and at least one pour spout panel hingedly connected to a minor wall panel, said pour spout panel having a pour aperture provided therein and being folded at a score line intersecting said pour aperture to form a proximal panel member and a distal panel member in engagement with both said proximal panel member and an overlying end panel, whereby when said major wall panel membersl are compressed together at a corner containing said pour spout, said proximal and said distal panel members are caused to be separated thereby providing a pour spout opening and whereby, when said major wall panels are released, said pour spout panel members return into engagement with each other thereby closing said pour spout'opening.

2. A dispensing carton according to claim 1, wherein the end wall at which said pour spout panel is hingedly connected comprises an additional outer end panel hingedly connected to the other of said major wall panels, underlying and adhesively affixed to said rst outer end panel and overlying said pour spout panel,

3. A dispensing carton according to claim 2, wherein the end of at least one of said outer end panels is adhesively afxed to said proximal panel member along the area of the score line at which it is hingedly connected to said minor wall panel, thereby sealing the end of said carton.

4. A dispensing carton according to claim 1 wherein said pour aperture is hexagonal.

5. A dispensing carton according to claim 1 wherein said pour aperture is circular.

6. A dispensing carton according to claim 1 having a pour spout privided at each end of said carton.

7. A dispensing carton according to claim 1 wherein the surface of said distal panel member is adhesively afxed to an overlying outer end panel.

S. An integral blank for forming a dispensing carton having means adapted to provide a pour spout comprising major wall panels and minor wall panels hingedly connected at their edges and adapted to form a tube, and means for providing an end wall at each end, at least one of said means for forming an end wall comprising an outer end panel hingedly connected to one of said major wall panels and at least one pour spout panel hingedly connected to a minor wall panel, said pour spout panel having a pour aperture provided therein and being adapted to be folded at a score line intersecting said pour aperture to form a proximal panel member and a distal panel member adapted to be folded in engagement with both said proximal panel member and an overlying end panel, whereby when said major wall panel members `of the erected carton are compressed together at a corner containing said pour spoilt, said proximal and said distal panel members are caused to be separated thereby providing a pour spout opening and whereby, when said major Wall panels are released, said pour spout panel members return into engagement with each other thereby closing said pour spout opening.

9. An integral blank according to claim 8, wherein the end wall at which said pour spout panel is hingedly connected comprises an additional outer end panel hingedly connected to the other of said major wall panels, adapted to be folded in position underlying and to be adhesively aixed to said rst outer end panel and to overlie said pour spout panel.

10. An integral blank according to claim 9, wherein an adhesive is provided for adhesively aixing the end of at least one of said outer end panels to said proximal panel member along the area of the score line at which it is hingedly connected to said minor wall panel, thereby sealing the end of said carton.

11. An integral `blank according to claim 8 wherein said pour aperture is hexagonal.

12. An integral blank according to claim S wherein said pour aperture is circular.

13. An integral blank according to claim 8 having a pour spout provided at each end of said carton.

14. An integral blank according to claim 8 wherein an adhesive is provided for adhesively aixing the surface of said distal panel member to an overlying outer end panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1948 Fields 222-213 1/1966 Kersh et al. 222--535 X 

